Learn & Teach

After School Program

Conservation Genetics - Exploratory Course

January 6, 2015 - February 12, 2015

A wallet, a handbag and a pair of boots walk into the airport. All three are made of leather, but only one of them is legally traded - how can we find out which one it is? Call in the DNA detectives. Conservation genetics is the field that seeks to use DNA to study and protect the living world and its biodiversity. Students in this course will learn about how DNA sequencing, including DNA Barcoding, and fingerprinting techniques can be used to determine species distribution patterns, to identify products made from endangered animals, and to propagate endangered species in captivity. The students will then learn how scientists and governments can use this information to allocate limited conservation dollars where they are most needed. By the end of the course, students will write grant proposals for their own conservation projects, which they will then present to the class.

This course is offered free as part of the Urban Barcode Research Program. In order to qualify for the program, you must also enroll in the DNA Barcoding & Bioinformatics course that will be offered during the next session of the After School Program.

More in this Series:

This course will cover genetics and genomics, with a focus on understanding the composition of the genome. Students will learn what is in the genome, how mutations arise, and how variation in the genome impacts evolution and natural selection.

This class will introduce you to the variety of stars out there, from white dwarves to red giants, and G-type stars, like our Sun, to recently discovered brown dwarf stars that are changing our thoughts on what a star even is.

How do you make objects in outer space, objects that no human has ever visited, easier to understand on a more intuitive level? Science Visualizations! The Open Space project is a brand-new planetarium software being developed by the Natural History Museum that is pushing the boundaries of visualizing outer space. This class will use Open Space and other Science Visualizations to help understand some of the amazing objects in our solar system such as Mars, Pluto, Comets, Asteroids, the Sun, and our own Earth. Activities will include defining what separates a cutting-edge science visualization from other methods of communicating science, understanding how scientists gather data from different missions in outer space, and examining how these tools help scientists discover new and exciting properties of these mysterious worlds.

Cosmology is the study of the Universe as a whole – what it is, what's in it, how it came to be, and what the ultimate fate of it is. Today, Cosmologists study things like the Big Bang, Dark Energy, and the shape of the Universe. There are also cosmologies from other cultures and parts of the world, which describe the heavens in relation to their view of the cosmos. In this class, you'll learn about both aspects of cosmology – see how different cultures represent their cosmologies through exhibits from around the Museum, and learn about how scientists study the Universe and what we have learned (and what we don't know!).

In this course, students will learn about marine invertebrates and biodiversity through the field research and scientific expertise of scientists working at the Museum. The course will cover marine ecosystems as well the major groups of marine life and their evolutionary relationships. Class activities will include dissections, observing marine specimens through microscopy, exploring marine life displays in Museum halls, cladistics and the study of evolution, as well as meeting with scientists.

Event Information

Registration Open

Dates

January 6, 2015 - February 12, 2015

Registration Deadline

12/14/2014

Registration Information

Who: 9th through 12th grade students who live in or attend school (or home school equivalent) within the five boroughs of New York City.

Parents, Guardians and Teachers are not allowed to complete applications on behalf of students.

NOTE: December 14th deadline ends 12:00 a.m. EST

Students will be notified via email by Friday, December 19, 2014

Cost

All After School Program Exploratory and Science Research courses are offered free of charge!